Upper-body exercise device

ABSTRACT

The invention provides for an upper-body exercise device comprising a pair of reciprocal support members for providing support to respective limbs of a user&#39;s body, and at least one of which support members is arranged to be engaged by a user&#39;s hand, a pair of support members being arranged for reciprocal movement over respective support means extending outwardly on a substantially common line from either side of a central region of the device to respective outer regions thereof; and the support members further being arranged to be moved by a user in a reciprocal manner between the said central region and the said lateral regions as part of an exercise routine.

The present invention relates to an upper-body exercise device and in particular such a device for exercising the core muscles, shoulders and arms.

Various exercise devices are currently available for improving the strength and tone of various parts of the human body including, in particular, muscles of the upper-body such as stomach, chest, shoulders and arms.

Commonly, such apparatus is relatively bulky and often unnecessarily complex such that it cannot be readily maintained, used and stored. Increasingly exercise routines are conducted within a domestic environment and so it can prove desirable to provide such apparatus in a form that is both simple to set-up and use and ideally to provide for a range of exercise routines, offer a range of readily varied resistances, and likewise readily and compactly stored.

While known apparatus and devices do not readily allow for ease of use and simplicity of operation, it is also noted that such apparatus and devices are also restricted to only a few basic exercises.

The present invention seeks to provide for an upper-body exerciser device and apparatus having advantageous features over known such devices and apparatus.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an upper-body exercise device comprising a pair of reciprocal support members for providing support to respective limbs of a user's body, at least one of which support members is arranged to be engaged by a user's hand, the pair of support members being arranged for reciprocal movement on respective support means extending outwardly on a substantially common line from either side of a central region of the device to respective outer regions thereof, and the support members further being arranged to be moved by a user in a reciprocal manner between the said central region and the said outer region as part of an exercise routine.

Advantageously, appropriate hand-engagement, hand grip and/or handle means can comprise part of at least one of the supporting members. A wide range of exercise motions can be employed with the reciprocal movement of at least one of the support members by way of movement of the user's hands so as to allow for the advantageous and ready exercising of the user's arms and, if required, the user's core muscles.

Advantageously, such support members can be arranged to operatively engage at least one weighting means and to raise the weight through a vertical distance during at least one stroke of the said reciprocal movement.

The amount of work required by the user during the exercise routine can therefore advantageously be varied through the selective engagement with the at least one exercise weight.

As will be appreciated, in one form of the invention, a further support means can be arranged to receive a user's knees and a second support means can be arranged to receive both of the user's hands in an adjacent manner.

In accordance with a further feature, each of the support members can be arranged for engagement by respective hands such that the user is partially supported on the apparatus solely by way of hand engagement with the support means.

Of course, the device can be arranged to receive a selective plurality of weights to allow for the selective variation of the resistance to movement offered during an exercise routine. In particular, each of the selective plurality of weights is arranged to be fluid-filled, or sand/particulate-filled.

In one particular aspect, a rigid connector is provided for the operative connection between the footplate support member and the exercise weight such that, during outward movement of the support member, the rigid connector and associated weight, extends beyond the said outer region of the device.

Preferably, the said weights are arranged to be located at the end of an arm which is connected to the support member.

Advantageously, the said arm is arranged to be supported during its movement by a surface of an outer region of the device.

Advantageously, the said surface is arranged to comprise a cam surface,

Alternatively, or in addition, the said cam surface can comprise a bearing surface.

In particular, the said surface can be provided by that of a roller wheel rotably mounted within the said outer region, for example such as a sheave.

The roller wheel then advantageously includes a circumferential channel portion for receipt of the said arm.

Advantageously, the height of the said support surface of the outer region relative to the support member can be varied.

As will be appreciated, through increasing the height of the said support surface relative to the support member, the end of the arm supporting the said weight can be caused to move through a greater vertical distance thereby further enhancing the resistance offered during an exercise routine.

Preferably, the said arm can have a generally downwardly concave configuration.

In particular, the said support means can be arranged to offer a shallow concave path which can be arranged to match the downwardly concave configuration of the support arm.

As will be appreciated, the present invention provides an advantageous adaptation of known exerciser apparatus and through which an easily, and accurately, variable adjustment to the resistance offered during an exercise routine can be provided quite independently of the size and weight of the user. The height through which the weight can be moved can also advantageously be readily adjusted and increased.

The invention as described further hereinafter, by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an upper-body exercise device according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exercise device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 provide illustrations of the embodiment of the exercise device of FIG. 2 when in use by a user during a “press-up” routine;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exercise device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 comprise opposing views of a still further embodiment of the present invention.

Turning first to FIG. 1, there is provided a perspective view of exercise apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As will be appreciated, the illustrated embodiments of the invention comprises an outwardly extending frame structure for supporting the reciprocal movement of support members thereon between central region and outer/peripheral regions.

Accordingly, the exercise apparatus 10 includes a central region 12 and respective lateral/outer regions 14, 16. A pair of support members 18 is provided and, in FIG. 1, are shown located adjacent the central region 12 of the device 10.

The support members 18 are arranged for engagement with the limbs of the human body and include particular engagement formations determined by the nature of the exercise routine to be undertaken.

For the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1, an exercise routine involving the shoulder/arm muscles and also core muscles as intended such that one of the support members 18 is arranged with a knee plate 19 so as to readily allow for a user to kneel thereon. and the other of the support members 18 is provided with a pair of hand grips/cushions 21, 23 and is thereby configured so as to receive, and be engaged in a supporting manner by, a user's hands.

Accordingly, the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1, is configured such that a user can kneel on the knee plate 19 and, facing the hand grips/cushions 21, 23 grip the same so as to be supportive thereby during an exercise routine. Moving the support members 18 backwardly and forwardly in mirror image.

As will be appreciated, each of the support members 18 is supported for reciprocal motion on a respective pair of tracks 24, 26 and 30, 32 so as to allow for reciprocal motion between the centre region 12 and the lateral/outer regions 14. 16,

Each of the support members 18 is also operatively engaged by means of the respective support arms 38, 40 to weighting means 44, 46 which are arranged to present a selectively variable weight to the user of the apparatus so as to thereby vary the amount of work to be undertaken during the exercise routine.

Within the illustrated embodiment, it will be appreciated that each of the rails 24, 26, 30, 32 is curved in a shallow downwardly concave configuration. This configuration is also matched by each of the support arms 38, 40.

During an exercise routine involving the reciprocal movement of the support members 18 backwards and forwards between the central region 12 and the lateral/outer regions 14, 16, the weighting means 44, 46 are thereby caused to move back and forth, and importantly upwardly during the outward stroke of reciprocal movement of each of the support members 18 so as to increase the work required by the user during an exercise routine as noted above.

The nature of such movement is described in further detail below with regard to alternative embodiments of the present invention.

Turning now to FIG. 2, there is illustrated such a further embodiment of the present invention and wherein each of the support members 18 is arranged to include hand grips/cushions 20, 22 so that, during use, each is gripped by respective hand of the user who is intended to lie prone relative to the apparatus 10 in a direction along the line of a centre support 28 and so as to perform a press-up type routine with each respective hand engaging each respective support means 18 by way of the hand grips/cushions 20, 22.

A similar type of reciprocal motion that was discussed in relation to the embodiment of FIG. 1 is then to be conducted although, as will be appreciated, a different form of weighting means 44, 46 is employed within the embodiment of FIG. 2.

In further detail, the device 10 of FIG. 2 further comprises a pair of hand support members 18, 20, 22 arranged to receive a respective hand of the user and which are movably mounted upon laterally extending support means so as to allow for reciprocal movement of each support member 18.

The support means for the support member 18, 22 comprise parallel downwardly curved rails 24, 26, and which are connected to centre support 28 of the device 10.

Likewise, connected to the central support 28 is a pair of similarly downwardly curved rails 30, 32 upon which the other of the two support means 18 is movably mounted.

The movable mounting of the supports 18, 20, 22 to the rails 24, 26; 30, 32 can be provided by any appropriate bearing means/surface as required.

As will be appreciated, the rails 24, 26; 30, 32 extend along a common line from the centre support 28, and which common line is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of each support member 18, 20, 22.

The ends of the rails 24, 26 remote from the centre support 28 of the device 10 are connected to a sidewall member 34 of the device 10, whereas the ends of the rails 30, 32 remote from the central support 28 are mounted to the second sidewall member 36.

As will be appreciated from the following, the sidewall members 34, 36 perform an important function in the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, hut likewise provide lateral supports for the secure floor-location of the device 10 when in use.

Operatively connected to each of the support members 18, 20, 22 is a respective pair or outwardly extending curved support arms 38, 40 which, as illustrated. have a configuration similar to that of each of the rails 24, 26; 30, 32.

Each of the curved support arms 38, 30 is operatively connected to its respective support 18, 22, 20 and is provided at its remote end with means for receiving one of a pair or exercise weights 42, 44.

The operation of the embodiment of the present invention as illustrated with reference to FIG. 2 is now described further with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

As will be appreciated, the apparatus is intended to be used as part of a press-up routine with each of the hand-grips/cushions 20, 22 being engaged by the users hand and providing support to the users body during the exercise routine.

A user's head and arms during such an exercise routine are indicated by the dotted lines in FIGS. 3 and 4.

In addition to allowing for the usual up-down movement of the user's body during a press-up type routine, the support members 18, 20 and 18, 22 are also arranged to be moved by the user in a reciprocal manner along the support tracks and as indicated by arrows A in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Such movement of the support members during a press-up routine advantageously serves to further work the user's muscles.

According to a further advantage, movement of the weighting means 44, 46, in the illustrated embodiment including the weights 42, serves to move the weights in an upwardly direction as indicated by arrows B in each of FIGS. 3 and 4.

The extent of such upward movement in the directions of arrows B is of course determined by the configuration of the apparatus and, in particular, the shallow concave configurations of the curved rails 24, 26, 30, 32, the curved support arms 38, 40 and also the manner in which the curved support arms 38, 40 are supported at each of the sidewall members 34, 36 by way of the illustrated embodiment a cam surface.

Comparison of FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrates the outward movement of each of the support members 18, 20; 18, 22 whereas it will of course be appreciated that the exercise routine will also involve a controlled inward movement of the support members 18, 20; 18, 22 in a direction opposite to that illustrated by arrows A.

Turning now to FIG. 5, there is provided a perspective view of exercise apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As will be appreciated, the embodiment of FIG. 5 shares similar design features to the earlier embodiments insofar as a pair of support members are provided for reciprocal outward/inward movement along rail members and between the central region, and lateral side regions, of the apparatus.

In further detail, the exercise apparatus 50 has a central support region 52 from which extend a pair of shallow concave support rails 54, 56 which terminate in respective lateral support feet 58, 60.

As compared with the earlier embodiments, it will be appreciated that only single respective laterally extending rails 54, 56 are provided.

Mounted for reciprocal movement on each of the rails 54, 56 are a pair of support members 62, 64 having bearing means (not visible) for providing secure movable mounting to the support rails 54, 56 so as to allow for the smooth inward-outward movement of the support member 53,56 along the rails 54, 56 in a manner similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 above.

The support member 62 presents an engagement service 66 having ergonomic features arranged for ease of engagement by at least the palm and fingers of a user's hand and such features 68 are also found on the upper surface of the other support member 64.

In addition to the palm/finger engagement support 66,68 each of the support member 62,64 includes an respective upstanding hand grip member 70, 72 that can be gripped by a user during an exercise routine.

Although illustrated extending in a substantially vertical direction, it should be appreciated that each of the hand grip members 70, 72 can be readily pivoted as required about any appropriate axis so as to extend in the different direction from that illustrated.

Operatively secured to, and extending laterally from, each of the support members 62, 64 is a respective weight support arm 74, 76 which, at its end remote from the support member 62, 64 offers a weight hearing plate 78, 80 upon which one or more weights can be readily stacked in a manner similar to that discussed in relation to FIG. 1 of the present application.

An appropriate number of weights can therefore be securely mounted on the support plates 78, 80 so as to vary the resistance offered by the apparatus during an exercise routine and as discussed in relation to the previous embodiments.

As before, each of the weight supporting arms 74, 76 is arranged to travel over a bearing support surface which, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, comprises for example, a wheel/roller such as the sheave 82, 84 wherein its groove is arranged to receive the weight support arm 74, 76 so as to allow for the appropriate support to be offered to the movable arms 74, 76.

As noted, use of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 provides for an exercise routine such as that discussed in relation to the preceding embodiments although the position of hand grips 70, 72 allow for further variants in the manner in which the apparatus is gripped by the user during an exercise routine.

As noted above, FIGS. 6 and 7 comprised opposing views of a yet further embodiment.

As will be appreciated, the general configuration of the device illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 is similar to that of the preceding embodiments in so far as a pair of arm/and rests are provided which can move in a reciprocal manner along a common line of movement as part of an exercise routine.

Turning initially to FIG. 6 in greater detail, this particular embodiment comprises an exercise apparatus 86 generally intended to be located on the floor and comprising a central support region 88 and two sets of support feet 90, 92 provided respectively on opposite sides of the central support region 88. Extending between each of the feet 90, 92 and the central support recent 88 is a respective arcuate, and generally downwardly concave, track element 94, 96.

Movably located on each of the track elements 94, 96 is a respective pair of runners 98, 100 having respective cushion pads 102, 104 provided on the upper surfaces thereof.

Each of the runners 98, 100 comprises a box frame having, disposed therein, pairs of channelled castors 106 arranged to engage with the track elements 94, 96 and allow for smooth and low fictional movement of the runners 98, 100 over the rail elements 94, 96. Although not visible in the drawings, the box frame of each runner 98, 100 also includes engagement formation serving to extend under the rail elements 94, 96 to help retain the Runners 98, 100 in operational contact with the rail elements 94, 96.

As with the other embodiments of the present invention therefore, the device illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 provides for movable hand/arm supports by way of the runners 98, 100 and which can freely move over their associated track elements 94, 96 as part of an exercise routine as required.

Further details of the runners 98, 100 are now provided but by reference to runner 98 only. As can be seen, extending laterally from an upper surface of the box frame forming the runner 98 are two short, but laterally extending, support arms 108, 110 which extend to a support plates 112 upon which is located a stack of weights 114. Opposed to surfaces of the weights 114 are provided with respective male/female engagement formations so as to be stacked in a secure manner. In FIGS. 6 and 7, only an upper surface of one of the weights on 114 is visible and can be seen to include for circular recesses comprising examples of the aforesaid female engagement formations. Of course, any appropriate shape and configuration of such inter-engageable formations can be provided as required. To assist with secure mounting of stack of weights on 114, a fastening strap 116 can be provided to wrap around the stack of weights and which can employ hook and loop fastener means so as to close around the stack as illustrated.

As will be appreciated, this further embodiment of the present invention, through the provision of the cushion pads and selection of handgrips advantageously provides for a wide range of possible exercise routines which, if required, can be pursued in a serial manner so as to steadily improve a users strength.

Also, the compact weight-supporting arrangement offered by this embodiment of the present invention advantageously allows for an overall compact design and configuration for the device 86 but without limiting the range of exercises that can be performed and the degree of resistance offered by the device.

Associated with the runner 98, and in addition to the cushion pad 102. there is provided a pair of handgrip members 18, 120 extending in different directions and to be grasped by a user during different exercise routine as required. As will be appreciated also from reference to FIG. 7 in particular, a first handgrip 118 extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal extent of the cushion pad 102 and at a position to one side of, and slightly raised from, the cushion pad 102. The second of the two handgrips 120 extends from a position at one end of the cushion pad 102 and at an inclined angle in a plane orthogonal to the direction of the hand grip 118. A similar pair of handgrips is provided, as illustrated in FIG. 7, in relation to the other 100 of the two runners.

That is, as an example of a first exercise routine, a user can place their fore arms onto the cushion pads 102, 104 which serve to provide substantially horizontal support surfaces. The users can then grip the inclined handgrips such as 120 so as to provide for secure engagement with the device 86 and can then, as required, perform any appropriate exercise routine such as push-ups but with optional/controlled lateral movement of the runners 98, 100 over the track elements 94, 96 in a manner similar to that described in relation to the preceding embodiments.

As a first alternative, the user can then place their hands on to the cushion pads 102, 104 and then perform a similar, or if required different, exercise routine. As a second alternative, the user can choose to simply grip the horizontally extending handgrip 118 and again perform a similar, or if required different, exercise routine, for example moving the runners 98, 100 along the track elements 94, 96 during a push-up exercise routine.

As the positions of the user's hands change with each routine, so the degree to which a user's muscle groups are worked can be varied, and generally increased, such that the particular exercise routine pursued by way of the device 86 can be selected in accordance with the users muscle strength. That is, the experience for the user in varying the exercise routines in this serial manner is one of an increasing stretch of the pectoral muscles and which stretch can be enhanced through movement of the runners 98, 100 over the track elements 94, 96. The user's chest muscles serve to extend to a greater degree as the user works through the various hand positions. When placing the fore arms on the cushion pads 102, 104 and gripping the inclined handgrips 120, the user's hands and arms are retained close to the body's centreline. However, when placing their hands on the cushion pads this allows the user to further extend their hands outwardly and gives a greater range of motion. When gripping the horizontal handgrip 118 the user can perform maximum stretch when working their pectoral muscles and achieving a maximum range of motion.

As with the preceding embodiments, the weights on 114 forming the stack are readily removable and interchangeable and the mass of each weight, whether water-filled or otherwise, and the number of such weights, can readily be varied as required.

It should of course be appreciated that the invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment. Indeed, any appropriate form of hand engagement member can be provided on the at least one of the support members. The manner of providing for the supported reciprocal motion of each of the support members can be varied as appropriate and of course need not comprise the track arrangement illustrate the d in the drawings but can comprise any appropriate support configuration defining a path of trouble of each of the support members. The path of movement can of course be flat, partially inclined or curved in some other configuration to that illustrated. Also, any appropriate waiting means can be provided in a, preferably, selectively variable manner. 

1. An upper-body exercise device comprising a pair of reciprocal support members for providing support to respective limbs of a user's body, and at least one of which support members is arranged to be engaged by a user's hand, the pair of support members being arranged for reciprocal movement over respective support means extending outwardly on a substantially common line from either side of a central region of the device to respective outer regions thereof; and the support members further being arranged to be moved by a user in a reciprocal manner between the said central region and the said lateral regions as part of an exercise routine.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein one support means is arranged to support a user's body by way of their hands, and the others arranged to provide support by way of a user's knees.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the pair of support means is arranged to provide support to a user's body by way of each of the users hands respectively.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each support member is arranged to operatively engage at least one exercise weight in a manner so as to raise the said weight through a vertical distance during at least one stroke of the said reciprocal movement.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 4, and arranged to receive a selective plurality of weights to allow for the selective variation of the resistance to movement offered during an exercise routine.
 6. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the weights are arranged to be fluid, or particulate, filled.
 7. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein a rigid connector is provided for the operative connection between the support member and the exercise weigh.
 8. A device as claimed in claim 4, and arranged such that, during outward movement of the support member, the rigid connector and associated weight extends beyond the said outer regions of the device.
 9. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the said weights are arranged to be located on a support integral with the support member.
 10. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rigid connector is arranged to support the exercise weight at a location adjacent the support member.
 11. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the said support surface is arranged to comprise a cam surface, and/or rotatable member.
 12. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the said support surface comprises a bearing surface.
 13. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the said support surface is provided by a roller-wheel rotatably mounted in the said outer region.
 14. A device as claimed in claim 10, and arranged such that the height of the said support surface of the outer region relative to the support member can be varied.
 15. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rigid connector has a generally downwardly concave configuration.
 16. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said support means is arranged to offer an at least partially sloped path for the said reciprocal movement of the support member.
 17. A device as claimed in claim 16 wherein the said support means are arranged to offer a shallow downwardly concave path of travel for each of the support members.
 18. A device claimed in claim 1, wherein at least the said at least one support member has ergonomic formations for receiving a user's palm and fingers.
 19. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least the said at least one support member has a hand-grip member.
 20. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each support member includes a caution at providing an outwardly facing surface for the support member.
 21. A device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the cushion pad is arranged to receive a user's forearm.
 22. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each support member includes a plurality of handgrip members.
 23. A device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the plurality of handgrip members extend in different directions.
 24. A device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the plurality of handgrip members extend in substantially perpendicular directions.
 25. A device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the plurality of hand with members are provided at different locations relative to a cushion pad of each support member.
 26. (canceled) 